The National tribune., 1887-02-03
4STB CONGRESS.
The Senate Passes the Last House
Pension Bill.

tOiuActNs WHO are now 0lsaofeu anu NSFohtSAh
upon their own labor for support" The main
points of the bin are as follows:
BE Il enacted ETC., That in considering the pen
Hion ella 81 dependent parents the fact ana cause
OF death and the fact that the soldier len no widow
or minor children, having been shown ar required
by law ID shall be necessary only % show 10y com
petent and sufficient evidence chat such parent or
parents are without other present means OF support
thnn their own manual labor or the contributions
of Others not legally bound for their support: IT0-
Uided, That pension allowed under TINS act shall
commence prior 10 its passage, and m case Oh mp
plicBtiOns hereafter made under this act the pen
sion shall commence from the date Of the filing OF
the application ia the Pension Office.
SEC 2. That all persons who served three months
or more In the military naval service OF the
United States In any IN which the United States
has been engaged. and who have been honofabls
discharged thereirOm, and who are now or VINO
may hereafter be suffering from mental OF physical
disability, not the result OF their own vicious nap
its or carelcssness which lncapacitaies them lof
the performance OF labor IN such n degree as 10
render them unable 10 earn a support and whOare
dependent upon their daily labor for support, shall
upon making due proof OF the fact according TO
such RAJ : aud regulations as the Secretary OF the
Interior may provide In pursuance Of this act, tie
placed on the list Of invalid pensioners Of the
United States, and Ice entitled 10 receive, for such
total inability 70 procure their subsistence by daily
labor, sl2 per month; and such pension shall com
mence from the date OF the fling Of the application
IN the Pension Office. upon proof tia; the disability
then existed. and continue during the existence Of
Tie same in The degree herein provided: Pr0Uided,
That persons who are now receiving pensions I'M
the Pension Office may 10y application 10 the Com
missioner of Pensions, IN such forms as he may
prescribe. receive the benefits of this act but moth
ing herein contained shall be so construed ms 10
nHow more Than one pension at The same time 10
The same person, or pension 10 commence PRIOR 10
rank in the service shall not be considered in APP
plicatons filed Hereunder.
The debate on the bin contained some inter-
esting features, in brief as follows:
Mr.. Mitchell pa:
desire TO say word as to the construction
that is 10 be applied 10 this act. Ii was held
when this bill was up in another place that
the second section would only cover cases
OF total inability TO perform manual labor. To
my mind that ought not TO be the construction
of this bill, If IL become a law, and come to
that conclusion from IFS letter and the analo-
Pies Of the practice under the old pension law
The old total disability rate was S. in all cases
not involving a question of rank. BY the
practice Of the Pension Office that total disa-
bility was divided into different degrees in
some cases onefourth. in others one-h half, three
1ourths, etc, and that without any express pro-
vision Of law. Then subsequently, an act was
passed raising the rate which might be divis
lble TO SIS per month; so that there is q we'll
settled practice OF the Government in that
respect, and il appears 10 me that this bill
ought TO be construed 20 cover the case Of any
Union soldier, or any other soldier included
within its provisions, who is now disabled to
any considerable extent Any disability
which disables person from gaining liveli-
hood by manual labor, think, is provided for
by this section.
Mr. Sewell IN. -:
While a member Of the Committee on Pen
sions ] was not present at the meeting when
this bill was under consideration. IL Is as the
chairman of the committee says, modification
OF at least two bills that have passed this body,
and reduction of the amount proposed to be
paid per month TO the pensioners under those
bills from SPA TO Sl2 At the same time il pro-
poses TO change what has been hitherto closely
guarded, and what has been the policy Of the
Government for years, so that soldiers of the
Seminole war, the Mexican war and other wars
who subsequently served in the Confederate
army may under this bill obtain pension.
am opposed TO that part of the bill. ] am OPP
posed 10 opening the door so that any man who
served in the Confederate army shall ever re-
celve pension from the United States Govern
ment. II is hardly necessary 10 give the rea-
sons and do not propose 10 do any more than
20 make the simple statement differ with
the committee in this policy, and had been
present at the meeting at which this bin was
under consideration / should have objected
very strongly to its being reported in its pres
ent condition.
Mr.. Blair a. H.:
j think there is a misapprehension in the
minds Of Senators i'm regard TO the effect of this
bill so far as opening the way to pensions TO
those who may have served in the rebel army
Is concerned. Ii viii be observed in the first
place that whoever is TO receive a pension under
II must have served in the Mexican war, or an
Indian war, or in some war on the side Of the
Government Those who have served In the
Mexican war have already been provided with
pensions without reference TO their service In
the rnlanl Tho bfll tsl
gives a service pension and has gone to the
House, and IL is my impression that in that bin
the principle which is here spoken of has been,
IL you may choose 10 so express it, given away:
but at all events this bill will reach only very
small number Of soldiers who served in tho
rebel army, and they must be totally disabled;
and they must not have contracted their disa-
bility IN the rebel army. 1t either must have
been contracted from some cause outside their
military service against the Government, or
actually contracted by virtue of their military
service in behalf Of the Government The sol
diers Of the Mexican war are, ] think. al pro-
vided for already where the disability itself
was not received in actual service in the rebel
army. IL cannot extend in any event to any
but those who are totally disabled, and that
number must be very few.
Those who are absolutely totally disabled, as
The House Of Representatives certainly have
construed this bin in passing it, must be but
very small number OF those who served In the
Mexican WAT. As construed there, the bin ar
plies to but very small proportion Of the sol
dlers OF The country who are in actual need. no
matter whether their disability or incapacty
70 labor was contracted in one war or In another.
or IN time Of peace, as the case may be- 1t Is
not likely 10 reach far enough 10 do any
substantial harm; and il seems to me that il
will be no stretch of the magnanimity of the
Government 10 let the provisions of this bill,
which only apply TO total disability as ] under
stand, reach as far as they may.
Mr.. Wilson Gowa):
The Senator from Pennsylvania in respect of
one class of pensions provided for in the Next
can pension bill is undoubtedly correct mas
much as that bill provides a pension for all
persons within its terms who served during the
Mexican war who have become or NAV become
81 years OF age Therefore, il established the
limit Of age as a disability, aud IL the physical
disability under which the pensioner NAV be
lab0ring was In fact contracted in the rebel
army still being 81 years Of age lac will be
entitled 20 a pension But with reference 10
the other class provided iQr IN that bin ID is
expressly declared that they shall not receive
pension for any disability contracted i'm the
rebel army or in military service against the
authority Of the United States.
Mr.. sewcll ~. -:
object to this bill that II repeals entirely
that provision which we have guarded SO closely
for years and absolutely allows pensions 10 be
granted 30 mon who served in the Confederate
service who had previously served IN any Of
our Indian wars or IN the Mexican war. 1.-THE
Senate desire 10 vote for a bin Of that kind
they must do III with their ewes oman but r,,, -